Save the date for Gulf Pack '07 - Organisers confirm dates for eight edition of region's premier packaging trade fair

Dates for the region’s largest packaging trade exhibition, Gulf Pack, are now confirmed for 2-5 April 2007, according to the trade fair's organisers F&E.  Staged at Dubai's premier industrial exhibition venue, Dubai Airport Expo, the event is already on track to double in size with an anticipated 600 exhibitors.
According to F&E's Regional Director, Dominic McGill, “the dates have been carefully planned to reflect the international calendar of packaging events. We have always enjoyed great support from major packaging companies, many of who have repeatedly enjoyed the results of participating at Gulf Pack.”
New to 2007 will be the introduction of a dedicated zone focussed on the technologies and machinery associated with the label industry. Dominic McGill confirmed , adding the segment to target the label industry is a natural progression from packaging to printing. “Gulf Label will provide, for the first time, a unique platform in the Middle East for the Narrow Web industry to showcase their latest products and innovations from around the world,” he said.
The exhibition has proven over the past few years to be the main event for the industry as it combines a host of activities specifically designed to cater to the needs of the region. Regular attendance at the show by senior members of the World Packaging Organisation and the Asian Packaging Federation ensure the event gets international recognition and allows members of the industry to interact with their overseas peers.
Sharing of knowledge, technology and processes is integral to the success of the show, so much so that many top exhibitors host a series of seminars to enable their industry to directly benefit from their expertise. In 2005, Tetra Pak gave two seminars titled Straw Business and Global Market Segmentation.
Gulf Pack will also continue to support local industry to establish a UAE chapter of the Asian Packaging Federation and provide the means to keep the dialogue open.
Dubai has emerged as the central business hub in the region. It’s attractive lifestyle and business approach appeals to the world's manufacturers, combined with easy access to the wider region. An extensive logistics network makes Gulf Pack the ideal platform to launch new products as well as maintain established business relationships.
“We will be taking Gulf Pack further than the Gulf and will be targetting the entire MENA region, Europe, Asia, the Far East, CIS countries and Iran,” explained McGill. This will be covered by an extensive marketing campaign targetting visitors and exhibitors separately.
Bringing industry groups together is not the only aim of the show. Gulf Pack has, over the past two years, ensured that current packaging experts also shared their knowledge with tertiary education students in the UAE by hosting the Gulf Pack Packaging Design Awards. “Gulf Pack is a show integral to the packaging industry spanning the entire Middle East, and as a result, we have decided to invite universities and colleges from the entire region to participate in our student awards,” added McGill. “This is our way of ensuring the future players in the packaging industry get recognition at the earliest possible stage in their careers.”
More information is available at: www.gulfpack.info